Method of pitting fruit



April 22, 1930. A. GOTELLI METHOD OF FITTING FRUIET.

Original Filed Aug: 19,

. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 R o T m k t m A Y ATTORNEY April 22, 1930. A. GOTELLI METHOD OF FITTING FRUIT Original Filed AugF- IQ, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n N V Nb a aw Qw v a Nun E E Mm mm on. mm mm o Rh 1 m INVENTOR Bent/Borg Gated! ATTORNEY April 22, 1930.

A. GOTELLI METHOD OF FITTING FRUIT Original Filed Aug. 19. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR Ant/way Gadedk' BY M I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1930 ANTHONY GOTELLYILOF NEw'YonK, N. Y.

- METHOD OFPITTING FRUIT Original application filed august 19,

My invention relates to methods of pitting fruits and ,more particularly the pittlng of dates,a lthough not limited in all, its phases to such use, and is a division of my co-pend- 5 ing application Serial No. 130,045, filed Augustl9, 1926. V a The general object of my-inventionis to provide an improved method, havingin view I the removal of the pit withoutalnduly muti- V .lating the fruit, as well asto insure'pre vc'ision and reliability, looking to insure the positive removal of the pit fromeach date passed through themachine. I

The natureof my invention and its-dis- '1 5 tinguishing :features and --advant ages will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

" Reference is to'be had to the' accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis'specifica tion, it being understood that the drawings are. merely illustrative of one example iof" a machine forcarrying out my invention. 1 Figure 1 is a plan view of a date-pitting machine constructed to carry out myinvention; Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is atransverse vertical sectionon theline 3,'3 of Figure 2; showing the centering means "and the pit removing. means in a raised positionabove'the carrier chains and before the operation of pitting a date; I Figure 3 is a section on the line 3*3 of "Figure3; 1 V

' Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but omitting the parts shown at the lowerportion of Figure, 3, the said Figure 4 showing the parts after the operation of removing the pit from the date; I

Figure 5 is a detail inlongitudinal vertical section, on the line 5 5'of Figure 1;

4, Figur'e'6 is a transverse verticalsection on the line 66 .of Figure .1; -Figur'e 7 is a fragmentary view showing in [plan the plate for preventing the dates from rising with the pit removing means;

Figure 8 is an inverted View of the centering and pitting means as indicated by the arrows numbered 8 in Figure 5;

' Figure 9is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a portion of the date carrying .w ha n nd I -the two rowsiof pins,

1926, Serial No. 130,045. Divided and this application filed September .24, 1929. .Seri aINo. 394,866.

Figure 10 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section in a plane indicated by the line 1010 in Figure v In carrying out my invention in accordance with theillustrated example, a suitable frame 10 is provided here shown as supportedon .legs 11. The said frame supports by posts ]13 the table 12, over which passes the working. run of an endless chain 15, said chain running about the sprocket pulleys 14. Said chain 15 carries the fruit through the machine and for that purpose includes fruit receiving cups 16 connected by links 17, said cups having openings 116 in the bottom Y through which the pit is forced. On table 12 are tracks 18 having'longitu'dinal recesses 19 to afford clearance for links 17. The table ,12includes a top 112 having a hole 20 through 7 On top of track 18 is which the pits pass. a plate 21 having slots 22, with openings 23 at the center through which the pitting devices operate, as will appear.

date is adapted to rest in cups 16 on ledges or'shoulders '216 at the'sides. Each cup also sure exerted by the knife, in slitting the Said The letter A in-- dicates a date and a, the date pit. The

fruit and thereby prevent the action of the knife from lifting the fruit out of the cup 16 when a cup arrives at said knife. For the stated purpose, use is made, in the illus- I trated example, of a roller 26.. Said roller has a transverse shaft 27 having weights 28, said shaft being free to play in vertical slots 29 in posts 30. r Y

A lower crossbar 31 is provided and an upper crossbar 32. Crossbar 31 has a block 131'to which'is secured pitcentering pins 33 in two rows adapted to take positions at opposite sides of the center of the date.- For example, on the under side of crossbar 32 is a block 132 to which is secured by set screws 34 pitting spindles 35 having forked lower ends, said spindles being positioned between Beneath the table 12 at either side of the vertical plane of spindles are elements 36 spaced to present a slot 136 therebetween to detach the pits a as hereinafter described. The elements 36, which are mounted to revolve as will appear, coact with the upturned terminal on an arm 37 held fixed to block 38 on hangers 138, depending from table member 112. e V V The belt 41 is driven by a suitable motor and runs over a pulley 42 on the shaft 43 on which is a pinion 44 meshing with gear wheel 215 on a shaft 46, said gear wheel 215 in turn meshing with a gear 47 on a shaft 48. On the shaft 48 isa crank disc 148 (see Figure 1) to which is centrally pivotedja pawl 248 meshing with a ratchet wheel 49 on the shaft 114 of one of the sprocket pulleys 14 so that said, sprocket pulley and chain 15will be fed" by step-by-step movement due to pawl 248 ;and ratchet 49. On the shaft 46 are crank discs 50 to which are eccentrically pivoted connecting rods 51 extending upwardly to members 52 on a cross-ro 53 passing through blocks 54 on crossbar 32, said bar 53'beingfastened by set screws 55 or the like. The'operation of connecting rods 51 serves to give up and down movements to "crossbar 32 on vertical guide posts 56 connected by top member 57 Depending from the ends of crossbar 32 are guides 59 having slots 58 (see Figure ii), the upper ends of the guides 59 being secured to crossbars 32 by screws 232. Springs 62 are secured at their upper ends to the respective outer ends of crossbar 31 by screw bolts or by equivalent means. The lower ends of the springs are made fast to the table element 112, as by bolts 63. Passing through the slots 58 are screw bolts 233 screwing into the ends of crossbar 31, said bolts having roller sleeves231 thereon, lying in slots 58.

An endless chain 64 driven from the shaft 48 passes about a sprocket pinion 65 on a shaft 66, carrying the elements 36 (see Figures 1 to 4) for turning said elements 36 so that the same pass at each side of the upturned end of arm 37 To remove the dates from the working run of the chain 15 after the pits have been removed, I provide an impaling fork 67 (see Figures 1, 2 and '10). Said impaling fork '67 is mounted on a shaft 68 turning in bearings 78 on posts 80 rising from table 12. The

impaling fork 67picks up th'e' date or other fruit and the latter is stripped from said fork by diverging stripper fingers 71 between which said fork moves in turning about the axis of the shaft 68. i I j H 'While the device described is practical without washing or brushing ofthe chain to clean same .of' adhering fruitp'arts, it is desirable in' some cases to'do so. In the-illustrated example upper andlower revolving cylindrical brushes7 2 and 7 3 are employed,

between which the chain runs, the lower roller 73 being immersed in water in a tank 74. Said rollers 72 and 73 are both positively driven by a chain 75 over running sprockets 172 and 173 on the shafts 272 and 273 of said brushes.

In using the machine, dates, for example, are placed in the cups 16 in advance of the pitting means. Asthe chain carries the date beneath presser roller 26 it is forced firmly into the'cup. and then passes beneath the plate 21. The operation of the pit centering and pit removing means issuchthat'a's the date comes under said plate 21 the turning of shaft 46 draws the connecting rods 65 downwardly and thereby-moves crossbar32 downwardly.

The downward movement of the bar 32 carinto the plane of the slot 136 of pit stripping elements 36. The pit is prevented from rising with the ejector sjpindles 35 by said elements36 and caused to move away'from the plane of the pitting spindlesby the a mf37. Upon the upward movement of theconnectw ing rods 51 thereverse operation takes place, since thereby the crossbars 31 and 32 will be raised.

Referring again to the forked pins 33, the members thereof take a position at each side of the pit and are then in a position to resist any lateral displacement of the pit to a position outof register with theopening 116 of cup 16 and out of line with the hole 20 in table 12 At the same time, said pins 33 perform the function of preventing fruit from being displaced when the pitting spindles 35 are functioning.

' Cushioning springs 77 may be provided heneathcross-bar 31. As thepitted date passes beyond the plate 21 and arrives beneath the impaling fork 67 the fruit will be impaled by said fork and in the revolving of the latter (see Figure 10) the date A will be stripped from the fork byithe strippers 71.

I would statefurthermore that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varie'd without departure from the spirit of'the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

1. The method of removing pits from fruit consisting in supporting the fruit, centering the pit Within the fruit, moving the fruit over a knife thereby longitudinally slitting the fruit, spreading the side Walls of the slit and consisting in slitting the fruit, ejecting the pit through the slit and guiding the pit as it I is being ejected.

4. The method of removing pits from fruit consisting in slitting the fruit, positioning the pit Within the fruit, ejecting the pit through the slit and guiding the pit as itis being ejected.

ANTHONY GOTEVLLI. 

